Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess trace metal air pollution in the Beskidy Mountains, the Outer Western Carpathians, Poland, with a widely used bioaccumulating organism, a lichen, Hypogymnia physodes. Lichens were collected at five stands (mountains) in parallel transect and analyzed for cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) content. Concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in lichens were elevated, indicating moderate air pollution. The studied sites grouped in two clusters, with the three more contaminated sites being at the west end of the transect, and the two less polluted sites being situated more eastward. Such a pattern can be explained by the location of industrial centers and prevailing wind direction in southern Poland. The strongest correlation was noticed between Zn and Pb, which are known to occur jointly in ore deposits and are being processed in nearby Polish and Czech industrial regions.
Highlights
The aim of the study was to assess trace metal air pollution in the Beskidy Mountains, the Outer Western Carpathians, Poland, with a widely used bioaccumulating organism, a lichen, Hypogymnia physodes
Industrial heavy metal pollution has become a serious environmental problem all over the world. Even though they are typically considered a local issue, heavy metals when adsorbed to the surface of particulate matter (PM), can be transported in the atmosphere for long distances (Policnik et al 2004)
In contrast to the common opinion that the Beskidy Mountains are relatively unpolluted, some studies have shown that they might be severely contaminated with heavy metals (Grodzinska et al 1990)
Summary
The aim of the study was to assess trace metal air pollution in the Beskidy Mountains, the Outer Western Carpathians, Poland, with a widely used bioaccumulating organism, a lichen, Hypogymnia physodes. In Poland there are four monitoring stations operating within the framework of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Program (EMEP) under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution These stations, located in relatively remote and pollution-free regions, provide information about background concentrations of pollutants. The EMEP station for measurements of background air pollution in mountain regions is located in southwest Poland, in another mountain range west of the Beskidy, namely the Sudetes. The information collected by this station is not very representative for the Polish part of the Carpathians, meaning there is no recent data on trace metal air pollution in the Beskidy Mountains. The present study is an attempt to partially fill this gap
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